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22 Jul 2004 : Column 623W—continued
Art Therapy
Mr. Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what contribution art therapy has made towards patient treatment and recovery within the NHS; and what plans the Government has to recruit more art therapists. [185366]
Mr. Hutton: The Department has not recently commissioned or undertaken a national review of the contribution of art therapy. Primary care trusts (PCTs) have the responsibility for improving the health of the community, securing the provision of high quality services and integrating health and social care locally. They are also responsible for addressing the service needs of their local communities and developing the workforce they require to deliver services. In commissioning services, PCTs need to plan local services near to patients and ensure that they are identifying the health needs of patients and securing services for them. It is for PCTs, in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
Bacterial Meningitis
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the cost of providing a booster vaccination for bacterial meningitis; [185408]
(2) what plans he has to introduce a booster vaccination programme for bacterial meningitis; and if he will make a statement. [185409]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Since the meningitis C vaccine was introduced into the United Kingdom, rates of this disease have fallen by over 90 per cent.
We currently have no plans to introduce a booster dose. However, we carefully monitor rates of disease and other evidence to ensure our vaccination programme offers the most effective and safest protection.
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Bed Occupancy
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the bed occupancy rates were in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority and (c) each NHS hospital trust in each year since 1996. [184098]
Mr. Hutton: Information on beds is collected on a provider basis from national health service organisations and the latest data available are for the year 2002–03. Beds data for 2003–04 will be published later this year.
The table shows the average occupancy rate for England between 1996–97 and 2002–03.
NHS organisation data are available from the Department's website from 2000–01 at www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/index.htm. Beds data from 1987–88 to 1999–2000 are available in the Library.
| All specialties | General and acute | |
|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 81.3 | 80.8 |
| 1997–98 | 80.9 | 80.5 |
| 1998–99 | 82.5 | 82.5 |
| 1999–2000 | 82.7 | 83.1 |
| 2000–01 | 84.0 | 84.7 |
| 2001–02 | 85.1 | 86.0 |
| 2002–03 | 85.4 | 86.5 |
Source:
Department of Health form KH03
Births/Terminations
Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many (a) births and (b) terminations there were of babies with Down's Syndrome in each of the last five years; [181536]
(2) how many (a) births and (b) terminations there were of babies with (i) spina bifida, (ii) heart defects and (iii) kidney problems recognised during pregnancy in each of the last five years; [181538]
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(3) if he will estimate the percentage of terminations conducted in each of the past 10 years on account of potential handicap of the baby; [181539]
(4) if he will estimate the number of terminations conducted on account of (a) foot deformities, (b) cleft lips and (c) cleft palates in each of the past five years. [181541]
Miss Melanie Johnson: This information is published annually in the Office for National Statistics publication, "Congenital Anomaly Statistics Notifications", series MB3; copies of which are available in the Library.
In each of the past 10 years, one per cent. of the total number of abortions performed on residents of England and Wales were performed under section 1(1)(d) of the Abortion Act 1967 (that there is a substantial risk that if the child were born it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities as to be seriously handicapped).
Bureaucracy
Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Written Statement of 20 May 2004, Official Report, columns 61–4WS, on bureaucracy, (1) what the budget of each arm's length body is in this financial year; and how many staff in each body are (a) providing duplicated functions and (b) involved in unnecessary regulatory and policy activities; [176714]
(2) if he will list the arm's length bodies he has identified which could be moved to a more independent status with greater stakeholder control; [176717]
(3) how many of the planned 25 per cent. fewer staff posts will be lost through (a) natural wastage, (b) compulsory redundancy, (c) transfer to another arm's length body and (d) transfer to his Department; [176715]
(4) if he will list the arm's length bodies he has identified to be merged or closed; and which of these was created in the last six years; [176716]
(5) if he will list the unnecessary regulatory and policy activities identified in the review of arm's length bodies. [176718]
Ms Rosie Winterton: For budgetary information, I refer the hon. Member to the reply sent to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) today.
A report on the Department's review of its arm's length bodies was published today by way of a written statement.
Canteen Facilities
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of running the Department of Health's canteen facilities in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available. [184553]
Ms Rosie Winterton
[holding answer 19 July 2004]: The Department's canteen facilities are run on a nil subsidy basis and there is no direct payment to the catering contractor. Utilities to the canteen facilities are provided free of charge, but are not separately metered and cost cannot be apportioned.
22 Jul 2004 : Column 626W
Children of Related Parents
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he makes available to the public concerning the possible health implications for children born from patients who are cousins or otherwise related. [183781]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Specific guidance or information is not issued direct to the public concerning the possible health implications for children born from parents who are related. National Health Service genetics counselling services are provided for families affected by genetic disorders, appropriate to their needs and circumstance, irrespective of whether the parents are related or not.
Civil Service Recruitment
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the reductions in the numbers of civil servants in his Department announced in the comprehensive spending review will be of special advisors. [185460]
Ms Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Boateng) on 20 July 2004, Official Report, column 190W.
Continuing Care
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of (a) the total number of applicants for NHS continuing care funding and (b) the number of successful applicants who are awarded continuing care suffer from (i) a form of dementia and (ii) Alzheimer's disease; and if he will make a statement; [185991]
(2) how many people in receipt of NHS continuing care are (a) living in their own home, (b) living in a care home and (c) in hospital, broken down by strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement; [185995]
(3) what the average funding per week is for those who receive fully funded NHS continuing care; and if he will make a statement. [186008]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department does not routinely collect, or hold, this data centrally.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action NHS bodies have taken to make local people aware of the available process for review of cases where applicants may have been wrongly denied NHS continuing care. [185992]
Dr. Ladyman:
Continued national coverage, through the media and the health service ombudsman's reports, has ensured a high level of awareness and National Health Service bodies have used a range of actions to further improve awareness of the recompense process. These methods include working with voluntary bodies, local media interviews, advertising within local newspapers or other publications and case finding.
22 Jul 2004 : Column 627W
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the average length of time is between a local health authority making a decision about an applicant's eligibility for NHS continuing care and informing the applicant about that decision; [185997]
(2) what the average length of time taken to process an application for fully funded NHS continuing care is, broken down by strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement. [186007]
Dr. Ladyman: This data is not collected by the Department. As stated in Directions, published earlier this year, when an individual has been assessed for fully funded National Health Service continuing care and is dissatisfied with the outcome, a review should be completed
within two weeks of the individual registering their dissatisfaction.
A Written Ministerial Statement, made to the House 22 June 2004, stated that it is expected that all reviews as a result of the Health Service Ombudsman's 2003 report will be completed within two months of all the information on the case being received by the strategic health authority.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rejected applications for NHS continuing care since 2000 have been overturned following an appeal, broken down by strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement. [185998]
Dr. Ladyman: My written statement, of 22 June 2004, Official Report, column 78WS, details the number of cases which, as a result of the Health Service Ombudsman's 2003 report, have undergone a retrospective review, and the number found to have been wrongly assessed, broken down by strategic health authority.
Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how often a person in receipt of NHS continuing care must be re-assessed to ascertain whether they are still eligible for this funding; and if he will make a statement. [185999]
Dr. Ladyman: As care is needs based, individuals should be reassessed when their needs change to ensure that they continue to receive the correct level and type of care. This was reiterated and reinforced in the Continuing Care (National Health Service Responsibilities) Directions.
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